Objective: To understand the clinical characteristics and outcome associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients with primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs).
Method: Nasopharyngeal aspirate samples were collected consecutively before and after HSCT from 9 recipients from Apr. 2009 to Sep. 2010 and analyzed for the presence of RSV using real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. To further verify the presence of the virus, positive samples for PCR were isolated for RSV. RSV G gene was amplified, sequenced and used for phylogenetic analysis.
Result: The presence of RSV was detected in 3 out of 9 children. The viral replication in all the patients was prolonged for months. All the 3 patients with RSV infection were treated with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) and one was treated with antiviral medication. All patients survived and achieved successful immune reconstitution.
Conclusion: This study indicates that the HSCT recipients with PID are at increased risk for RSV infection. RSV can shed for months after the initial infection and the patients recover with the course of immune reconstitution.